


An Alternate Solution

by Talinor



Series: The Dawn Will Come [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Ace Shiro is implied kinda, DAO spoilers I guess?, Dragon Age Origins AU, F/M, M/M, Mild mentions of mpreg, The Ritual, but the game came out in like 2009 so, trans keith
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-21
Updated: 2016-08-21
Packaged: 2018-08-10 01:14:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,527
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7824418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Talinor/pseuds/Talinor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lance hummed in consideration. "Have sex with Keith," he heard him mutter to himself. "Or possibly die tomorrow to kill the archdemon." He looked back to Shiro. "That's a tough decision."</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Alternate Solution

**Author's Note:**

> guess who got inspired and wrote this in like a day when she should've been working on chapter 3 of Human?
> 
> (Disclaimer: I'm not a trans person myself so I'm not really sure if this is considered transphobic. I'm super sorry if it is!)

This day had certainly been eventful.

Thankfully their little ragtag group made it to Redcliffe in time to fight off the invading horde of darkspawn. The villagers made it to the safety of the castle thanks to them. But by the time they got there, reeking of the usual rotting smell fighting darkspawn brought and muscles slightly sore from the battle, Arl Alfor gave them a grave look.

Something was wrong.

"Shirogane," the arl addressed him personally. Riordan, the third of the three Grey Wardens in all of Ferelden, stood by his side with a worried expression. The two men exchanged looks. "I'm afraid we have some dire news."

Shiro could feel the eyes of his companions drilling into his back. They were a small group of five people, excluding him.

Lance, the only other Warden in the whole country alongside Riordan and Shiro, stood closest to him. Usually he was the group's stress reliever, the one who'd manage to get everyone smiling tiredly as they trudged on to their next destination. But lately he wouldn't respond when Keith tried to provoke him into their strange bickering sessions. His shoulders sagged, eyes that once sparkled now dulled. 

The nightmares of the archdemon affected him more than he'd willingly let on.

Then there was Keith. The apostate from the Wilds who'd set up his tent farther away from everyone else. The one who almost exclusively talked to Lance. And the conversations he overheard usually was one trying to prove a point to the other about something.

When they met, his mother persisted on calling him a woman. Calling him her daughter even when he winced and tried to politely correct her. He only snapped at Allura when she asked him about the bandages wrapped around his chest underneath the strange attire he always wore.

The first time he ever saw Keith legitimately happy was when he presented him the binder he'd bought in the Denerim market.

Allura. How could he describe her? The flowing silvery locks she occasionally let down, her sun-kissed skin, the way her crystal blue eyes lit up when excited, the way she gestured with her hands when she got really into a story she was telling. From the moment he saw her take down an ogre, he knew he was in love.

Sometimes he looked at her and wondered what heroic thing he must've done in a past life to deserve a woman like her.

Pidge was a young mage from the Circle of Magi, one who helped him when demons and abominations overran the tower. But not before they apparently died to defend others from a powerful demon.

From how they described it to him one night after passing out during a battle, a benevolent spirit powered them now. But that spirit's power was slowly waning. Pidge was slowly dying, yet didn't seem phased by the thought at all. They weakly joked that they were merely joining the 'Not Quite Dead Yet club' with him and Lance.

None of them bothered to laugh.

And finally Hunk, the most unique of them all. Which was certainly saying something, considering their group. Hunk was a golem.

Legitimately, a 7 foot tall stone golem with glowing yellow crystals embedded into the cracks. Strange dwarven symbols were etched into his arms, so ancient that no one could translate them.

Despite the big intimidating look, Hunk was a sweetheart. A kind hearted person who could probably carry all of them at once. And probably would, if they asked him to. But they didn't ask. None of them wanted to take advantage of him. He didn't deserve that.

Shiro swallowed around the growing lump in his throat. "What happened?"

"While some of the darkspawn forces were here," he said. "The bulk of the horde is headed to Denerim as we speak."

His heart sank. There was no way they'd be able to get there in time to save the city. No matter how they could try.

"And," Riordan spoke up. "The archdemon itself is leading the horde."

Shiro and Lance exchanged looks. Lance looked about as worried as he felt right now, but he still stepped up to Shiro's side. "When can our forces set out to the city?" the youngest Warden asked.

"Tomorrow, at dawn." The arl told him. "For tonight, however, get some rest. We'll all need it."

"Shirogane, Lance," Riordan said as the others headed to their rooms upstairs. The two Wardens stopped, looking back at him. Riordan looked to Alfor. "May we talk in private, my lord?" The arl nodded, and walked out of the room. He only continued once it was just the three of them. "Do either of you know why Grey Wardens are needed to kill the archdemon?"

Both of them shook their heads. He hadn't even bothered to wonder.

"Any soldier can kill the archdemon, do not get me wrong on that." The senior Warden continued. "But if they aren't a Warden, it won't be enough."

"Something about the taint, I'm guessing?" Shiro asked.

Riordan pointed at him. "Precisely," he said. "When the archdemon dies, the soul of the Old God passes on to the next tainted being. Darkspawn quite literally have no souls, so they can handle it. But in order to fully destroy the soul, a Grey Warden has to strike the final blow. We can't handle two souls. So as a result, both are destroyed. Thus ending the Blight."

Shiro's throat suddenly felt a bit drier. 

"So you mean," Lance spoke up. "By tomorrow, one of us," he gestured to the three of them. "Is guaranteed to die? If one of us even makes it to the archdemon in the first place?

He nodded. "Unfortunately, yes."

Silence filled the room, giving the two too much time to think about the new information. He didn't need to be able to read minds to know who they were each volunteering- themselves.

After all, they had the opportunity to save thousands of innocents in Ferelden. Not to mention the millions of people who didn't and might not have to know the Fifth Blight was going on. The only thing it cost was their own life. Who wouldn't take that opportunity? To ensure their loved ones stayed safe?

"But that is something to decide at battle." Riordan finally continued. "The arl was right, we shall need every bit of energy for tomorrow."

Shiro's mind wandered as his body moved to go upstairs to his quarters. A million possibilities raced through his mind. What if none of them made it close enough to kill the archdemon in the first place? Or, if they all did, how would they decide who'd be the sacrifice? Something told him a good old-fashioned game of rock paper scissors wouldn't suffice.

His worried thoughts screeched to a halt when he reached the doorway. The door was wide open, revealing his room. It was routine- a stone fireplace on the wall across the doorway, a neatly made two-person bed the only other thing in the room. The non-routine thing in the room, however, was a familiar apostate mage facing the fireplace, arms crossed.

"Do not be alarmed," Keith said, barely looking back at him. "'Tis only I."

"Keith," it took him a moment to speak. "What are you doing here?"

Keith turned to him fully. "I imagine by now Riordan has told you why Wardens are needed to end the Blight, yes?" He raised an eyebrow, already knowing the answer. Shiro nodded anyway, brows furrowed in confusion. Where was Keith going with this? "I'm here to tell you that does not have to be the case."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean, I know an alternative. A loophole, so to speak." He explained, moving to sit on the left side of the bed. "It is an old ritual. A child created on the eve of battle from a Grey Warden and the one who conducts the ritual will be able to absorb the archdemon's Old God soul without dying. Not only that, but it will attract the soul like a beacon. Thus, no Wardens have to die to end the Blight."

It was easy to tell where this was going. And he wasn't sure if he liked it that much, honestly. Not because of what Keith was implying, but because he knew Keith might not be comfortable with some aspects of it.

He looked to Keith with concern. "But what about-"

"I know what you are going to ask," the mage interrupted. "And in truth, your concern is touching. But I would rather be uncomfortable for a few months than possibly grieving over a lost friend for an unknown amount of time." He looked down at the floor, voice quieter. "Especially knowing I could have prevented it." He looked back up at Shiro. "I might not like it, but I know it's necessary. Which is why I wanted to ask you if you could convince Lance to... you know."

That... was a surprise. "Really?" He couldn't help but say. "Lance? I thought you'd suggest Riordan before him."

"It requires someone who has not been tainted by darkspawn blood for a very long time, which leaves either Lance or you," he answered. "And if I am going to do this, I want to do it with someone who seems like they enjoy the act. I know you don't do it in general. And I also know that you might be the only person who could possibly convince him."

Shiro thought it over. It didn't sound like a bad idea.

Which was why it had him a little suspicious.

"Forgive me for asking," he leaned a shoulder against the doorway. "But is there something you want from this?"

"Yes. Once the Blight is over, I will go to raise the child as I wish. You," he pointed at Shiro, his gaze steely and serious. "Do not try to find or follow me. Ever. That's it. Does that sound like a fair deal?"

Honestly, what Keith wanted made more questions than answers. But it did sound fair. After a long drawn-out moment of thinking it over, he finally nodded.

"Alright," Keith said. "Then I'll wait here for Lance.I urge you to be convincing."

He really had his work cut out for him. 

Shiro nodded, moving off the doorway into the hall. There weren't many doors in the hall, so it was pretty easy to figure out which room was Lance's. His door was open a crack, allowing him to peek inside.

Lance, from what he could see, was sitting on the edge of his bed with his face in his hands. He shot up at Shiro's light knocking. "Come in," he said, and Shiro did. "Can't sleep either?"

"No," Shiro admitted. "But we need to talk. It's important."

His expression shifted to concern. "I'm listening."

How should he even start this? "We're friends, right?"

Lance nodded. "Of course," his brows scrunched together. "Why?"

"I need you to do something for me." he said. 

"Alright, what is it?"

And, in a moment of astounding brilliance, he said the first answer that popped into his head. Which was, "Keith."

Good enough. It certainly got the point through.

Lance's expression quickly went to confusion. Honestly, with the way he was gaping and trying to come up with something to say, he looked like a fish. "I... Say that again? I think I misheard you. I could've sworn you did not just say what I thought you said."

"You heard me right," he said. "He asked for you specifically."

The look on Lance's face softened, realization that Shiro actually wasn't joking dawning on him. He was completely serious. "Why?"

"Why as in 'why do you need to have sex with Keith' or 'why did he ask for you'?"

"Both," Lance confirmed. "But start with the first one."

"Well," this was turning into one of the most awkward conversations of his life pretty quickly. "It's part of a magic ritual to make sure no Wardens have to die to end the Blight. And I won't lie: Keith said it'll produce a child."

 _"What?!"_ Lance said incredulously. It took him a second to calm down from the sudden outburst. "Let me get this straight- you want me to _impregnate_ Keith as part of some... crazy magical sex rite? That's what you're saying to me right now?"

"That's not how I'd word it, but that's basically it."

Lance hummed in consideration. "Have sex with Keith," he heard him mutter to himself. "Or possibly die tomorrow to kill the archdemon." He looked back to Shiro. "That's a tough decision."

"It's certainly a unique one." He agreed.

"And Keith asked you to talk to me first? He didn't offer you to do it once?" Lance raised his brows in surprise when Shiro shook his head. "Wow. I..." He trailed off, going back to the considering expression. He could practically see the wheels turning in Lance's head. Finally he looked back up to Shiro with a sigh. "Okay, I'll do it. Where is he?"

"My room," he said. "The door's still wide open. Just remember to close it."

Lance nodded. "I will."

-

If anyone had told Lance he'd end up in this situation, he would've laughed in their face. And then he would've ran away from them afterwards, because they obviously had to be crazy. There was no other explanation for it.

Yet here he was, leaning on his elbows in a sort of upright position. On a bed. In his smallclothes. Watching as Keith lifted the back of the long deep magenta scarf he usually wore as a meager shirt.

His life had taken many strange turns, but this was quickly climbing his top 5. Not many people could truthfully say that they've had sex with someone they kind of (but not really) hated in order to make some kind of Old God child. Guess he should count himself lucky?

Seeing those half-lidded violet eyes glance to him was answer enough. The light from the fireplace illuminated Keith's lithe frame so well it was unfair.

The mage's fingers hesitated at the binder. It was the only thing he was wearing now, his dark leather pants and ""top"" discarded on the floor. Lance could tell he really didn't want to take it off right now. Or probably the entire time.

"You know," he finally found his voice. "You don't have to take it off."

Keith looked to him with confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," he explained. "I know all... this makes you uncomfortable. If keeping your binder on eases that, then by all means, keep it on."

Surprise quickly replaced confusion. Seeing collected, (mostly) calm Keith purely caught off-guard wasn't very common. He quickly decided he liked that look.

Then another extremely rare thing happened- Keith smiled. Not a mean sneer or a smug smirk. A legitimate smile.

"You're a fool," he said, missing the insulting edge to it. Instead it sounded like an odd but affectionate pet name. "A sweet fool," he turned around to face Lance. "But still a fool." He crawled onto the bed on his hands and knees, a predatory glint in his eyes that made something stir in Lance's gut.

Okay, this might not be as bad as he thought it would be.

Keith kept going until he was completely above Lance, their faces only an inch or so apart until Keith's moved to the lit candle on the bedside table. Pursing his lips, he blew the flame out gently.

-

He's not sure how long they've been fighting the archdemon now.

The thing was giant, easily able to crush soldiers under a single foot. It looked almost exactly like he'd seen it in his nightmares, save for the tear in its right wing from when Riordan plunged his sword into it to keep himself on the flying dragon. It worked to incapacitate the archdemon, but the senior Warden fell off in the process.

He'd felt his stomach drop as he watched Riordan plummet to his death. It was now up to Shiro and him. Part of him just hoped Keith's ritual would work.

While the other soldiers were getting obliterated by either the archdemon or its seemingly endless supply of darkspawn lackeys, the four of them worked together like a well-oiled machine. Shiro mainly used his shield, deflecting attacks that could've hindered one of them. Speckles of blood decorated the metal, one arrow still embedded in it.

He saw Allura duck to avoid the dragon's pointed tail. She moved back, grabbing another arrow from her quiver and set up another shot. She looked over to Pidge, and the two had an unspoken conversation in the span of three seconds.

The young mage nodded and moved their staff in her direction, firing a green burst of light. Allura's arrow glowed with the same light, and she let it fly free.

It hit the dragon in the eye and stuck there. The beast let out a roar of both anger and pain.

They'd been fighting for a long while, but he could see the dragon's legs shaking. It was gradually getting weaker. If either Shiro or him could get close enough, this would all be over.

Lance was closer.

He knocked the darkspawn in his way aside. They didn't matter. Without a leader, they'd retreat.

He needed to chop off the snake's head.

The dragon let out a cry as Lance completely plunged his sword into its belly. Dark red spilled from the wound, blending well with the deep purple scales. He twisted the blade in an attempt to pull it out. No luck. It was really wedged in there.

The dragon turned to look at him with its better eye. That was the face he'd seen in his dreams every night for the past few months.

Somehow it looked scarier in person. Maybe it was the glowing green arrow still sticking out the other eye. Or the strange intelligent yet seething look. Or the fact that the hatred he saw was directed at him. All of the above most likely.

He raised his shield just in time to protect himself from the razor sharp claws. It wouldn't last long, but it bought him enough time to look out at the battlefield.

Namely the darkspawn corpse with a sword sticking out of it a few feet away. It looked good enough to work.

He let the shield go, racing for the blade. The sound of steel being crushed like it was foil could barely be heard.

A fireball raced through the air, killing most of the darkspawn in his way. He had a brief opening. He looked at where it came from to see Pidge with the tip of their staff smoking slightly.

"What are you waiting for?" The mage shouted, barely heard over the chaos. An arrow struck a darkspawn moving in behind them. "Go!"

Lance nodded and kept going. It was easy to get the sword free from the corpse. Now it was time.

He didn't bother to think about about much. He didn't want to acknowledge Shiro's shocked look as he realized what Lance was going to do. All he did was rush to the weakened archdemon, his blood rushing through his veins like liquid fire and his heart pounding in his ears.

Lance ducked underneath the staggering dragon's neck, raising his blade to cut into it. He moved out of the way just as the creature's legs finally gave out. Lance allowed himself a moment to breathe, sticky from the almost black ichor that nearly covered him.

After all, he wasn't sure whether or not it could be his last breath.

He barely heard Shiro cry his name out before he sunk the sword into the monster's head. Instead of blackness, a bright light shining out the wound and into the sky like a fiery beacon.

Pain erupted in his entire body, nearly bringing him to his knees. The searing, nearly blinding pain blocked him from anything else. He's not sure if he let out a cry or not, his skin tingling and mind-numbingly hot. It was more agonizing than anything he'd ever experienced. Probably more than anyone had ever experienced.

And then, just as it seemed to reach a boiling point, it was over. A brighter surge of light shot up, illuminating the night sky before fading.

Lance, like the strong valorous hero he was, immediately plopped down onto his ass. His legs felt numb. His arms felt numb. Pretty much his everything was recovering from what he just went through.

Allura's giddy laugh could barely be heard over the retreating horde. "We're alive!" she said with obvious glee. He watched her drop her bow, racing to Shiro. He scooped her up in a hug, twirling her around in excitement. "We did it!"

They really did it. Keith didn't lie about the ritual.

The four returned to the city's gates, survivors cheering for them as they passed. When they got there, however, Hunk was alone.

True to his word, Keith was gone. 

Strangely enough, Lance's heart sank at that.

**Author's Note:**

> my tumblr: squishy--squish


End file.
